ZANESVILLE - The length of Zanesville Country Club is a challenge to all comers.

Add in a damp course with little roll off the tee, and every player was in for a tough round on Tuesday.

Jim Spargrove overcame those conditions on his home course and posted the only score under par, shooting a 1-under 71, to sit in first place by two shots after the first round of the Seniors Classic.

The second round begins with a shotgun start at 9 a.m. Wednesday.

Spargrove had six birdies (Nos. 1, 4, 7, 11, 12 and 16) to go with five bogeys. He also made three three-putts on the front nine.

The Zanesville resident has won the event seven times and is the defending champion.

"There was a lot of lift and place and with the ball plugging. It added a lot of length to the course," Spargrove said. "I had a tough front nine. Some of it was nerves, and I struggled to get the speed of the greens down. I was happy with my score in these conditions."

Class leaders are Christopher in A (75 years old and older); Cooper in B (70-74); Spargrove in C (65-69); Spires in D (60-64) and Baldwin in E (55-59).

No matter the weather or conditions, the event remains a favorite of the players, as more than 70 teed off.

Mike Milby thanked a classy staff for helping the players, and Bill Duerson noted ZCC remains one of the 'premiere courses in Ohio.'

They played alongside former champion Dane Swinehart and David Bitler. All four travel from Lancaster annually to play in the tournament.

"The layout's great. All the holes are different," Duerson said. "It's a well-maintained course. You can find yourself in some different situations, but it's still a challenge and fun to play."

The course took in more than an inch of the rain on Monday, but Swinehart was impressed with how it looked. He noted being cart path only probably turned the 6,100-yardage from the white tees to more than 8,000 yards when walking from the cart to fairways and greens.

"It was in perfect shape, and the greens were good and smooth," Swinehart said. "The extra walking was about the only major difficulty."

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Jim Spargrove(Photo11: Brandon Hannahs/Times Recorder)

Dave Bitler credited the grounds crew for having the course ready for the event.

"Zanesville (Country Club) is first-rate and you can't say enough about what they do here," Bitler said. "Nice people run this event, and the course speaks for itself with people coming from all over Ohio to play here. It's beautiful and well worth the time to come over here and play."

Winning the event is a nice benefit, but camaraderie keeps people coming back.

"We're out here playing for fun," Swinehart said. "We're all in the same boat since we're not the young guys anymore. Everyone likes playing this event, and we'll go out and enjoy another round tomorrow."